Morocco’s dam reserves have risen to 45.2% of capacity after months of rainfall, offering the country rare relief following several years of severe water shortages, official data showed.
Stored water volumes increased from 5.6 billion cubic meters to 7.6 billion m³ over four months, a gain of nearly 2 billion m³, driven mainly by a new precipitation cycle that began in late autumn.
The rise marks one of the fastest recent recoveries after a prolonged drought that started in 2018 and pushed reservoir levels to historic lows in early 2024.
The overall improvement provides short term relief for agriculture, drinking water supply and tourism, all heavily exposed to water scarcity. But officials and analysts warn that the upturn does not signal a return to hydrological stability, as regional disparities remain wide and structural vulnerabilities persist.
Northern and north western basins recorded the strongest gains. The Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam, which supplies the capital Rabat, climbed from 67% to 99%, while the Oued El Makhazine dam reached full capacity. Al Wahda, North Africa’s largest reservoir, rose from 47% to 57%, adding more than 350 million m³.
By contrast, dams in central and southern regions remain critically low. The Al Massira reservoir, Morocco’s second largest and essential for irrigation in the Doukkala plain, increased from 3% to just 8%, holding 215 million m³, far below its designed capacity.
Levels at Bin El Ouidane, Ahmed El Hansali and Mansour Eddahbi also remain concerning, reflecting uneven rainfall across the country.
Experts say the recent gains highlight Morocco’s dependence on climate variability and reinforce the need to accelerate investment in desalination, wastewater reuse and efficient irrigation, as agriculture consumes nearly 87% of national water resources.
